Denver has an ongoing love affair with beer. We like to drink it, we like to make it and, heck, we even like to celebrate it in all its hoppy goodness
So it was with great fanfare that the winners of the 2011 Denver International Beer Competition were announced on May 2, 2011. Some 19 certified beer judges participated in the blind tasting of more than 180 domestic and international beer entries. This year, contestants came from more than 20 U.S. states and six countries.
Some 46 medals were awarded in 16 different beer categories. One Colorado brewer, Oskar Blues Brewery of Longmont, gained one of three top spots for “Best of Show.”
A selection of Gold and Silver Medal winning beers will be showcased at the Taste of Elegance Chefs Food and Beer Pairing Competition on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at the Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield, Colorado. Thirteen master chefs will create custom-paired cuisine for 26 winning beers. Tickets are on sale for $75.
For tickets and a full list of 2011 winning beers visit denverbeercomp.com
Here’s the complete run-down on this year’s winners.
2011 Denver International Beer Competition Winners
Best Of Show
Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock
Silver: Unibroue Terrible
Bronze: Oskar Blues Brewery Dale’s Pale Ale
Category 1: Pilsners
Gold: Fiqueroa Mountain Brewing Company Paradise Road Pilsner
Silver: Samuel Adams Noble Pils
Bronze: Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Category 2: Light Lagers/Ales
Gold: Alaskan Brewing Company Summer Ale
Silver: Full Sail Brewing Company Session
Bronze: Deschutes Brewery Cascade Ale
Category 3: Amber Lagers
Gold: Hacker Pschorr Original Oktoberfest
Silver: Tommyknocker Brewery Vienna Amber Lager
Bronze: AC Golden Colorado Native Lager
Category 4: Dark/Strong Lagers
Gold: Samuel Adams Double Bock
Silver: Paulaner Salvator
Bronze: Samuel Adams Black Lager
Category 5: Pale Ales/Bitters
Gold: Oskar Blues Brewery Dale’s Pale Ale
Silver: Firestone Walker Brewery California Pale Ale
Bronze: Deschutes Brewery Bachelor ESB
Honorable Mention: Firestone Walker Brewery Double Barrel Ale
Category 6: India Pale Ales
Gold: Fat Head’s Brewery Head Hunter IPA
Silver: Full Sail Brewing Full Sail IPA
Bronze: Firestone Walker Brewery Union Jack
Honorable Mention: Old School House Brewery Rudd Awakening IPA
Category 7: Imperial/Double IPAs
Gold: Firestone Walker Brewery Double Jack
Silver: Troubador Magma
Bronze: Dry Dock Brewing Double IPA
Category 8: Brown Ales/Porters
Gold: Fiqueroa Mountain Davy Brown Ale
Silver: SKA Brewing Company Buster Nut Brown
Bronze: Santa Fe Brewing Company State Pen Porter
Honorable Mention: Old Schoolhouse Brewery Uncle Bigs Brown
Category 9: Amber/Scottish/Irish Ales & Hybrids
Gold: Madison River Brewing Company Copper John Scotch Ale
Silver: Mad River Brewing Company Jamaica Red Ale
Bronze: Pagosa Brewing Company Firestoned Irish Red
Category 10: Stouts
Gold: (None Awarded)
Silver: Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout
Bronze: Breckenridge Brewery 72 Imperial
Category 11: Strong Ales
Gold: Deschutes Brewery Mirror Mirror
Silver: Oskar Blues Brewery Ten Fidy
Bronze: Pumphouse Brewery & Restaurant American Barley Wine
Honorable Mention: Oskar Blues Brewery Old Chub
Category 12 Wheat Beers
Gold: Dry Dock Brewing Hefeweizen
Silver: Breckenridge Brewery Agave Wheat
Bronze: Hacker Pschorr Dunkleweizen
Category 13: Witbiers
Gold: Millstream Brewing Company John’s Generations White Ale
Silver: Brewery Bavik Wittekerke
Bronze: Alaskan Brewing Company Alaskan White
Category 14: Belgian Ales
Gold: Unibroue Terrible
Silver: Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Bronze: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Honorable Mention: Unibroue Don De Dieu
Category 15: Sour Beers
Gold: New Belgium Brewing La Folie
Silver: Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red
Bronze: Deschutes Brewery The Dissident
Honorable Mention: Petrus Aged Pale
Category 16: Specialty Beers
Gold: Breckenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter
Silver: Hornsby Crisp Apple
Bronze: Unibroue Apple White Ale
Honorable Mention: Pagosa Brewing Company Chocolate Stout